Create a Kid-Friendly Bouquet

Spring has sprung and that means so have the flowers. Yes, even weeds are blooming. We see those dandelions (everywhere). Through the eyes of a child, it’s all a beautiful array of colors and textures in all shapes and sizes. Embrace the vibrant season by creating a sweet Kid-Friendly Bouquet.

This craft is perfect for children of all ages and can be as simple or as decorative as their skills allow. Any flower will do—whether you find them in your backyard, on a nature walk, in a field, or at the local park.

And don’t worry, we won’t be using a vase of the breakable variety. We’ll be upcycling cardboard to hold our arrangements. It makes creating a bouquet easy and fun! As a bonus, it’s also a great way for your child to practice their fine motor skills as they pull each stem through the board to “fill their vase.”

Watch this video as Grace (8) and her brother, Noah (1), go on a sweet adventure together to gather flowers and make their own bouquets. Their mom, Emily Perkins, is an Education Specialist for Learning Care Group and volunteered to capture their crafting journey.

Now it’s your turn to create a floral work of art! To get started, you’ll need:

• Cardboard
• Markers
• Pens (to poke holes)
• Flowers

Create Your Own Bouquet

1. Cut the cardboard. Squares and rectangles work best. You’ll want them to be about a foot or so long, so there is room on the bottom for the vase and on the top for the flowers.
2. Draw a vase. For the youngest participants, pre-draw the outline of a basic vase for them to color. For older children, suggest they practice creating a pattern or unique design.
3. Poke holes. Carefully use the point of a pen for this step. Each hole will act as a little placeholder for the blooms that create the illusion of a bouquet.
4. Collect flowers. You can build the bouquet as you go or collect flowers in a bag or basket first. When you’re ready, simply pull each stem through until every hole is used. Like magic, a bouquet will soon burst from the handmade vase!  

Get Creative

See how many different types of bouquets you can make. Use your imagination to embrace a wide variety of natural elements, perhaps adding interesting greens such as ferns, leaves, or cattails.

Though each bouquet won’t last too long without water, it can be displayed for the day by simply leaning it against something sturdy. Then, use the cardboard vase for a new bouquet another day!